by Rachelle de Bretagne

Created on: April 15, 2009   Last Updated: June 25, 2010

It's a sad fact that, from time to time, Helium articles get deleted. It may be for any one of numerous reasons, though it isn't the end of the world. Just as in paper publishing, people's work gets rejected and it may be easier to accept when you learn the valuable lesson rejection teaches a writer. It helps writers to develop. It helps them to understand their shortcomings and to address them. It may even tell them that their article has been posted to a topic which isn't reflected by the article they wrote. So what do you do when your article gets deleted?

*Look at why.
*Get help to improve your work.
*Post it to the correct topic.
*Check your article meets site guidelines.
*Learn from the experience.

Look at why.

Most times that articles are deleted, there is a good reason. Articles don't get deleted accidentally very often, and most writers get an email explaining why. If the email is not clear, look at the article itself which is included within the email you receive which tells you your article has been deleted.

Did you check it for grammatical errors? Is it on topic? Does it contain swearwords? Maybe it's all about you rather than a topic. There will always be a logical reason and if you cannot find what that reason is, you can write to content@helium.com who will be able to tell you.

Get help to improve your work.

In the case of a deletion because of quality, does this mean your work has no worth? Indeed it does not. Helium prides itself on being a website where people's opinions matter. All they ask is that you write within site guidelines. They have a system of mentoring which may help you to improve your article. Send the article to mentor@helium.com and let them help you get on the right track.

Off topic.

If your article does not address a topic to which it is posted, it will have been deleted because of this. Often writers stray from the given topic and, in doing so, fail to produce an article of worth to that title. That doesn't mean their article has no worth. What that means is that it wasn't posted in the right place. The first move to make in this instance is to use the title finder which you can find located in the left hand panel of your My Helium area. Look for titles using key words and see if your article could fit perfectly into an existing title. If it does not fit perfectly, think up a new title and suggest it, using the Suggest a title tool on the same panel. Titles should be clearly stated and not vague. When the title is approved,

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